Washing machine



June 1o f i924. 1,497,180

C. D. MAXWELL WASHING MACHINE Filed DSC. 18 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet l in@ Q June 10, 1924. 1,497,180

c. D. MAXWELL WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18 1919 3 Sheets-Sheetl 2 @LLHMQMW' www June 10, 1924. 1,492180 C. D. MAXWELL WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18 1919 3 sheets-sheet 3 Patented June 10, 192%.

CLIFFORD D. WELL, OfF WSHING'TON, DISTRICT v0F GOLUI.

WASH-ING fiIAG-EIDTE.l

Application led December 18, 1'919. Serial No. 345,7?.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be itJ known that I, CLIFFORD D. MAX- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residingy at WashingtonfDistrict of Columbia, 51 have. invented new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines, of which-the following is a' specification.

This invention relates to washing machines of the rotary cylinder type, designed to accomplish withl a single structure themanifold operations incidental to the. process of washing clothes and other articles.

One object of this invention is to produce a washing machine of the character specified', combining in a unitary structure means by which soiled articles may be subjected to a' process of wringing, bluing, starching and drying. y

Another object is to provide fa washing machine having facilities for producing a thorough agitation of the articles being cleansed while at the same time maintaining a continuous circulationof soapy water through them.

Another object is to yprovide a Washing machine wherein the clothes .are held in a loose condition in order to allow the water free access to every article` thus'effecting a complete removal of the dirt.

Another object is to provide a washing machine arranged to permit'complete draining of the washing water fromthe clothes containing cylinder and the successive in-l troduction of a series of cleansing waters', each cleansing water being fully withdrawn prior to the admission'of that following.

Another object is to provide a Washing machine embodying a circular series of compartments, each compartment having a f valve-controlled orifice lcommunicating with the clothes container and functioning as reservoirs for the respective washing, cleansing, bluing and starching fluids, to be used as occasion requires.

Another ob'ect is to provide a Washingmachine of simple, durable construction specially adapted to domestic laundry purposes, and capable of handling, Without. injur the most delicate fabrics. y

`Cith. these and otherobjects inf view, my

invention consists in certain novel details of construction, combination and. arrangement of parts to behereinaftei more particularly y set forth and claimed. y

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawingsl in which corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference characters:

Figure 1, is an end elevation of the machine, with a portion broken away and 00 partly in section.

'Figure 2, is a side elevation of the machine partly in section and with a portion of the side removed.

Figure 3, is a perspective view of one of the compartments, a portion being broken away exposing the valve construction shown in elevation.

Figures 4 and 5, are detailed perspective viewsy of modified forms of headers which may be used with the clothes container.

Figure 6, is a detail perspective view of one of the tubes with its blade-like termination which constitute the the clothes container. u

Figure y7, is an end elevation of a modified form of washing machine with a portion broken away'and partly in section.

Figure 8, is a transverse vertical section partly in elevation-and showing the lower 80 nost position of the reservoir in dotted outme. `Briey this invention consists of an inner rotatively mounted cylindrical clothes container having apertured heads; a body W ortion formed of a series of tubular-.mem-

rs having arcuate fan-like' terminations functioning when washing as water elevating and distributing means and when drying as blast producers; a rotary `cylindrical @o housing enclosingA the container, and embodying a plurality of com artments which communicate 'with the c othes container through valve controlled orifices, and servbody portion of ing as reservoirs `for the different solutions -w ably journalled in the adjacent standard 8.

lMounting the container and its housing in this manner enables either to be rotated as required, that is to say, the inner container duringY the washing operation may be rapidly rotated by the motor geared to it, while the outer housing may be revolved on the Yspindles of the clothes container by the crank and gear mechanism to properly dispose the requisite compartment in discharging position.

Coming now to the specific construction of the clothes container, (see Figures 1 and 2), this element consists of apertured heads `2 and a cylindrical body l2 formed of a circular series of tubes 13 having curved terminations 14 interposed between the heads-2. These tubes 13 present in eect a corrugated rubbing surface devoid of angular portionswhich would prove injurious to delicate fabrics. 'llhe curved terminations 14 function either as propellers to carry the water upwardly and distribute 1t between the tubes to the clothing within the container or as fan blades to produce a strong current of air through the container for drying purposes.

rllulnbler plates 15 are mounted on the respective heads and project inwardly toward the center of the container to engage the clothes and assist in their agitation.

vReferring to the outer housing 6, (see Figure 2), this member is formed with a plurality of segmentalpcompartments 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 each having a suitable filling opening closed with a cap 24 and a valve opening 25 centrally frmed in its floor, said opening being closed by a valve 26 operating between parallel guides'27. 'llhe stem 28 of valvea26 projects to the exterior of the compartment and is provided with a thumb piece 29 by which the valve may be raised or lowered.

Baille plates 30 suitably apertured to permit proper drainage are arranged at the extremities of each compartment and project inwardly towards the interior of the outer housing to prevent the water from racing or swirling around the container as the latter is revolved during operation oi the machine.

The side walls of the outer housing 6, as

well as the heads of the container, are

ormedwith elliptical openings 31 to per:

neemeo mit introduction of the material to be washed. A cover 32 closes the opening 31 in the outer housing 6 as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

lin the modification illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the outer housing has a single compartment in the nature of a neck 33, hav ing a cap 34, the cap constituting a receptacle. When the clothes are being wrung or dried, the outer housing is revolved to place receptacle 35 in the position shown in dotted lines, Figure 8, whereupon the water emptying into said receptacle is removed rom contact with the container. During the washing operation, receptacle 35 'isin the topmost or discharging position as shown in full lines, saine figure. With exception of the preceding distinctions this form of machine is the same as that hereinbefore described and for this reason further discussion with respect to it is deemed unnecessary.

The container heads 2 of either form ot machine may be designed as shown in Figure 5, or with the fan 36 as disclosed in Figure 4. lln this latter construction the curvature of the fan blades is such that the air or water is drawn in one end of the container and discharged through the other, thus producing an extremely strong air or water circulation for washing or drying purposes.

Having described the structural details of this invention, its operation is as tol- `lows: Assuming the clothesvcontainer to be charged with soiled articles of clothing, compartment 18, filled with asoapy washing water, compartments, 19, 20 and 21 wlth a series of rinsin waters, and compartments 22 and 23 with bluing and starchlng solutions respectively, to begin the operation of washing, compartment 18 with the soapy washing solution is brought to topmost position, its valve opened, and .lts contents permitted to How into the interior of outer housing 6 to the level shown 1n dottedy lines Figure 2.

lnner container is now rapidly rotated by the motor and gear mechanism previously mentioned whereupon the articles withm are subjected to a thorough scrubbing, being caused to pass rapidly over the tubular surface of the. container, the soapy water 1 n the meantime, continually circulating longltudinally and transversally through the -apertured heads and between the tubes of the container.

After the clothes have been washed for a period sufficient to remove all dirt, the housing is again revolved to dispose cornpartment 18 in the lowermost position, its valve opened and the soapy water allowed to return to the compartment from, which it was emptied. v

The washing operatll being icompleted,

lll() BCO the next step is to properly rinsethe clothes with clean water, consequently compartments 19, and 2l are each in turn brought to a topmost position,I emptied of their contents and then after the container has been suitably rotated, positioned so that the water may be returned to the .compartment from which it was emptied. Treating the clothes to this series of rinsing waters e'ectively removes all soapy or dirty water which may have remained 'after washing andconditions them for the next step of wringing.

The process of wringing is incidental to the operation of Washing and rinsing, since obviously if all water is removed from contact with the container, and the latter rapidly revolved, centrifugal action will cause the water to be thrown from the clothes f las they revolve with the container, this together with the twisting effect of the tumblers which are positioned in staggered relations on the container heads for this purpose will serve to effectively remove all A surplus water. y L

Bluing and starching ofV the'clothesis accomplished in the same manner as in the washing operation, that is to say, the compartment containing the bluing solution is brought to topmost position, its contents discharged, the container rotated suiiciently to blue the clothes within after which the solution is returned to its compartment.

. This operation is repeated forstarchin'g. The clothes are now-ready to be dried for ironing, which is accomplished in .this wise; as all water is removed from contact with the container, rapid rotation of the latter produces av strong circulation of air through the clothing, since the fanelike terminations 14 which function durin'gwashing, to distribute the waterbetween the tubes of the container now serve as fan blades to create,

in .conjunction with the fan-blades which may be positioned on the inner surface of the container head (Figure 4), a strong air blast capable of rapidly. drying out the clothes.

The operation of the modification shown in Figures 7 and 8, is the same as that above described With this exception, instead of a plurality'of compartments this machine has 'but a single receptacle which must be repeatedly filled with the' different solutions employed. This construction dispenses with the valve arrangement described in connection with the other form'of machine. To remove the water in contact with the clothes container it is only necessary to position the neckwith its cap in, its lowermost position whereupon the Vwater fiows into the receptacle 35, formed by saidneck and cap from which it maybe removed and replaced by other solutions as required. i

. From the above it is obvious, I have de,-

signed a washing machine which is compact, simple in construction and inexpens1ve tol produce.

Although in thev foregoing, certain.. ele-` ments have been mentioned as best adapted lto perform the functions allotted to them,

departing from or sacrificing any of thel principles of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is y l. In a washing machine, the combination With'a rotary housing provided with a plurality of reservoirs, each reservoir having a charging and discharging position; of a cylindrical. container rotatable within the housing and means in connection with the container for producing a circulation of air or liquid through it. y.

2. In a washing machine, the combination with a rotaryhousing provided With a circular series of reservoirs, each reservoir having a charging and discharging position, and means in connection with` the container for producing a circulation of air or liquid throu h it. 3. n a washing machine. the combination with a rotary housing provided with a circular series of reservoirs, each reservoir having a valve controlled orifice and a charging -and discharging position; of a 'cylindrical container rotatable within the housing and means in connection with the container for producing a circulation of air or liquid throu hit.

4. washing machine, comprising a mov- -able housing equipped with a series of reservoirs, each having charging and dischargi`ng positions, a container rotatably positioned within the housing, and means in connection with the container for producing a circulation of air or liquid through it.

5. A washing machine, comprising a mov- `able housing equipped with a circular series of reservoirs, each having charging and discharging positions,\ a container rotatably positioned, within the housing, and means in connection with thecontainer for producing a circulation of air or liquid throughhit.

6. A washing machine, comprising a movable housing equipped with a series of reser-V lorsI 33 ifioimeo the housing, and ineens in connection with housing und means in connection with the the contaunei for producing a circuietion of container for producing a circuiaition of sii air or liquid through i119. or liquid through it. y

8. A Washing machine comprising ai mov- CLIFFORD D. MAXWELL. 5 able housing equipped with ai reservoir hav- Witnesses:

ing chargingsnd discharging positions, 2i W. H. FRANKLAND,

container i'otatebiy positioned Within the H. H, KALUPY. 

